Dong Tao Chicken

     The Dong Tao (Dragon-Legged) is an exceedingly unusual and rare breed of Chickens, which is endemic to the Dong Tao area in Vietnam. It’s a unique bird indeed with its stout fat legs and feet, that are covered with reddish scales. Interestingly, the Dong Tao rooster can grow up to reach a weight of 6 Kgs, and develop legs as thick as a human’s wrist.

     The Dong Tao chicken breed is highly prized in its country of origin for its delicious meat, which is said to be far more delicious than that of other chicken breeds. In the past, it was only served to the royal family, but now it’s served in high class restaurant to the rich, and even the legs themselves are used as delicacy. The price of Dong Tao chickens is very steep too, due to the high demand and the short supply. And a full-grown pair of these birds can be sold for up to $2,500, especially during the Vietnamese New Year time in January.

     Dong Tao chickens are quite difficult to rear, as they are very sensitive to weather changes, and lay fewer eggs than other regular chicken breeds (the hen is expected to lay not more than 60 tinted white eggs per year). The hens themselves tend to go broody, but their big feet make the incubation process even more difficult, and that’s why breeders prefer to use artificial incubators. Dong Tao chicks take around 8 months to one year, to reach the sellable weight target (3 – 5 kgs), (the point at which they can reproduce themselves). These magnificent birds always have pea combs, red earlobes, and almost exclusively available in a single color-variety; rooster are black-breasted red, while hens are of a wheaten color.